1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus, a control method for a printing apparatus, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a printing apparatus which, in response to a demand from the printing market, is capable of handling various paper types. Such paper types include plain paper, recycled paper, and thin paper. Further, the paper types include color paper, heavy paper, coated paper, bond paper, overhead projector (OHP) sheet, labeling sheet, postcard, tab sheet, and punched sheet. Each paper type is characteristic in grammage (i.e., weight), shape, and surface texture. It is thus necessary for the printing apparatus to perform printing of images appropriate for each paper type.
In general, the printing apparatus performs image printing which is appropriate for such different conditions by switching and controlling an image forming speed and a paper conveyance speed for each paper type. In the case of printing on plain paper, the printing apparatus employs a predetermined speed (hereinafter referred to as a unit speed), and in the case of printing on heavy paper or tab sheets, the printing apparatus employs a speed that is half the speed for printing on plain paper (hereinafter referred to as a ½ speed). Further, in the case of printing on paper of greater grammage (i.e. heavier paper), the printing apparatus switches to a speed that is ⅓ of the speed for printing on plain paper (hereinafter referred to as a ⅓ speed).
A user specifies the above-described settings using a user interface, on which the user registers the paper type for each paper feed stage in the printing apparatus. The printing apparatus thus operates according to the paper type registered by the user. It is necessary for the printing apparatus to perform control accordingly to maintain image quality. However, it is disadvantageous in terms of productivity when the printing apparatus prints at a slow speed so that processing time becomes longer for such paper type.
The user can register the paper type for each paper feed stage assuming that the printing apparatus forms an image on the registered type of paper. However, depending on an operation mode designated by the user, there are cases where no image is formed on the paper. The operation modes include one-sided/two-sided setting, a color mode (i.e., monochrome or color) setting, a reduction layout setting, a front-cover/inserted-sheet/back-cover setting, and a tab sheet setting, which are set for each job. Further, there are settings such as automatic discharge of surplus tab sheets (hereinafter referred to as discharge of remaining tab sheets), and a partition setting, which are set to the printing apparatus instead for each job. If the user specifies such a setting on the printing apparatus, the setting is applied to all jobs.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-248672 discusses realizing a function for automatically discharging the remaining tab sheets when a plurality of types of tab sheets is used. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-222794 discusses discharging the remaining tab sheets when a job is interrupted. Since the remaining tab sheet discharge function is for discharging the surplus tab sheets, any images are not formed on the tab sheets.
In a conventional printing apparatus, sheets are simply conveyed at a speed corresponding to the paper type set in the paper feed stage even in the case where the printing apparatus is not to form an image on the sheets. In such a case, time may be unnecessarily consumed. More specifically, when the printing apparatus performs the remaining tab sheet discharge function, the printing apparatus automatically discharges, after printing a document, a number of sheets as the surplus tab sheets as follows. The printing apparatus automatically discharges a number of sheets corresponding to a difference between a number of tab sheets to be inserted in a printed product and a number of divisions on the tab sheets set in the paper feed stage. The printing apparatus then acquires a set of tab sheets to be used in printing a subsequent document.
The printing apparatus may print an image on the tab sheet to be inserted in the document. Since a thickness of the tab sheet is greater than that of plain paper, it is desirable for the printing apparatus to control the image forming speed and the paper conveyance speed of the tab sheet to be slower, such as at the ½ speed. In the case of performing the remaining tab sheet discharge function, the printing apparatus only discharges the surplus sheets, so that it is not necessary to convey the sheet at the ½ speed, which is time-consuming. However, even in such a case, the printing apparatus performs control to convey the tab sheets at a slower speed as compared to the normal speed.